U.S. patent number 4,472,063 [Application Number 06/510,730] was granted by the patent office on 1984-09-18 for mixer implement for liquids.
This patent grant is currently assigned to INRI-International New Roofing Industries, Inc.. Invention is credited to Rolf W. Eickelmann.
United States Patent |
4,472,063 |
Eickelmann |
September 18, 1984 |
Mixer implement for liquids
Abstract
A mixer implement for liquids in which longitudinally spaced
guard rings are supported by a rotary shaft through radial struts
formed as impeller blades and which also support complemental
helically formed impeller blades extending between them. Liquid
motion patterns are set up by shaft rotation which effects rapid
thorough mixing action which can be accelerated by an attendant
stirring motion if desired.
Inventors: |
Eickelmann; Rolf W. (Tacoma,
WA) |
Assignee: |
INRI-International New Roofing
Industries, Inc. (Tacoma, WA)
|
Family
ID: |
24031945 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/510,730 |
Filed: |
July 5, 1983 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
366/129; 366/310;
366/320; 366/343; 366/605 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01F
7/00391 (20130101); Y10S 366/605 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B01F
15/00 (20060101); B01F 007/00 (); B01F 007/24 ();
B01F 007/32 () |
Field of
Search: |
;366/129,110,130,117,287,288,292,310,318,320,325,329,339,349,605,343,344 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Simone; Timothy F.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Christensen, O'Connor, Johnson
& Kindness
Claims
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or
privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A rotary mixer implement operable with paint or other liquids in
an upright container, comprising an elongated rotary shaft adapted
to be immersed extending downwardly generally centrally into the
container, upper and lower guide rings coaxial with the shaft and
spaced apart lengthwise thereof for immersion with the shaft,
respective upper and lower sets of elongated radially extending
support struts fixedly interconnecting the shaft and said upper and
lower rings to support said rings in relation to the shaft, each
support strut comprising an elongated strip of which at least the
radially outer portion is pitched to form an impeller blade, and a
plurality of elongated helical impeller blades extending lengthwise
of the shaft between the rings, each of said helical impeller
blades having a blade pitch substantially equal to the blade
pitches of the other helical impeller blades, the radially outer
portions of said support struts and said helical impeller blades
being operable by shaft rotation to impel the liquid generally in a
single direction parallel to the shaft.
2. The mixer implement defined in claim 1 wherein the rings are
larger in outer diameter than the outer diametral extent of the
helical blades.
3. The mixer implement defined in any of claims 1 or 2 wherein the
rings are substantially of the same diameter and are coaligned,
each such ring being thin radially in relation to its width
parallel to the shaft.
4. The mixer implement defined in claim 1 wherein the upper set of
struts and the lower set of struts comprise individual elongated
diametrically extending flat strips the midportions of which are
perpendicular to and joined to the shaft and wherein the helical
impeller blades have respective upper and lower ends joined to the
angled outer portions of the respective struts immediately inside
the upper and lower rings and which are formed to continue the
pitch of the radial strut blades over substantially the full length
of said helical blades.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an improved implement for mixing paints,
bonding compositions, asphalt emulsions, and other liquids in
containers, and is herein illustratively described in its presently
preferred form; however, it will be recognized that certain
modifications and changes with respect to details may be made
without departing from the essentials of the inventive concept.
The mixing of liquid materials such as those referred to above is
often tedious and time-consuming. Moreover, thorough mixing,
including the reaching of heavier and semi-solidified components
settled in the bottom corners of the container is not consistently
achieved. To the worker in the field, it is desirable to have an
implement on hand that can be gripped and operated in the chuck of
an electric drill, for example, where the drill motor operates
through a speed reduction/torque multiplication system so as to
provide the necessary torque and sustained power to do the job
without overheating the motor. Furthermore, inasmuch as containers
of the various substances involved, even in a given size range,
come in different diameter/length ratios, and the various
substances encountered have many different characteristics, it is
important to have a mixing implement that will work in and with
each of a variety of containers and substances, one that consumes
minimum power and requires minimum drive torque for the task
performed, and one that functions effectively to achieve thorough
mixing in a relatively short time period. It is also desirable that
the implement itself be sturdy and relatively invulnerable to
accidental damage, hence reusable without limitation, and yet be
sufficiently light in weight to be handled and used easily.
The invention is directed to the fulfillment of these and related
objectives. Also, the invention provides a mixing implement usable
in the manner indicated and that can be moved about orbitally by
hand as it is motor driven in the container so as to shift the
locus of flow inducing forces within the container in order to
expedite the process, and in so doing to perform a kind of
collateral stirring function, particularly when working in a
container much larger than the outer peripheral diameter of the
rotary implement itself. Yet the implement is quite usable and held
stationary as it rotates in a container only slightly larger in
diameter than the rotary implement. Contemplating the
first-mentioned situation, that wherein the collateral orbital
hand-executed stirring motion is employed, the implement is
designed to avoid projecting elements such as blade tips that might
catch on or dig into the interior of the container and possibly
stop the rotation or overload the drive motor or, in an extreme
situation, puncture the container.
A further object hereof is to devise an efficient stirring
implement for such purposes imparting multiple toroidal paths
circulatory motion to the contents of a container of such a nature
effective to cause intermingling and thereby rapid mixing of all
liquid components with minimum stratification flow paths that
actually defy mixing.
These and related objects will appear as the description
proceeds.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with this invention, a rotary mixer implement is
provided, including an upright shaft that is adapted to be chucked
in a rotary drill motor or the like and to extend downwardly
generally centrally into a liquid container. Upper and lower guide
rings coaxial with the shaft and spaced apart lengthwise of the
shaft are supported from the shaft by elongated radially extending
upper and lower sets of struts, preferably formed as flat strips
with a pitch angle to serve as impeller blades. Two or more
helically extending impeller blades interconnecting the struts near
their outer ends where they join the rings continue the pitch of
the strut blades and themselves serve as impellers. The rings serve
to protect impeller elements against bending, to prevent impeller
elements impacting the container sides during operation and,
together with the struts and the helical impellers of like pitch,
serve a role in forming toroidal flow paths with intermediate
circulation paths assuring efficient mixing of the liquids.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the invention
will become more fully evident as the description continues.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of the mixer implement in its
preferred form adapted to be driven by a portable electric drill
motor or possibly a drill press motor with a chuck.
FIG. 2 is a side view with the implement mounted in the chuck,
inserted in a liquid container and operating to impel the liquid
into motion to perform the mixing function.
FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of an upper fragmentary portion of
the implement showing segments of the upper guard ring, the drive
shaft, a set of impeller-formed struts positioning the ring and
adjoined to the upper ends of associated helical impeller blades
which are broken away for purposes of illustration.
FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 4--4 in FIG.
1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION REFERRING TO DRAWINGS
The illustrated mixing implement comprises a rotationally driven
support shaft 10 adapted at its upper end 10a to be received in and
gripped by the jaws of a rotary power source chuck C and to extend
downwardly generally centrally into a liquid container, such as the
container B in FIG. 2 holding a liquid or combination of liquids L
to be mixed. Upper and lower short cylindrical guard rings 12 and
14 coaxial with the shaft and spaced apart lengthwise of the shaft
are supported from the shaft by elongated radially extending upper
and lower sets of struts 16 and 18 preferably formed as flat
elongated metal strips whose radially outer portions 16a and 18a,
respectively, are angled to the rotary planes of the respective
struts at an acute pitch angle to serve as cooperating impeller
blades. These angled portions continue radially outward into
abutment with the respective guard rings 12 and 14 which they
support and to which they are welded or otherwise joined.
In addition, the mixer implement includes (two or more) elongated
flat strips 20 and 22 formed helically as additional impeller
blades extending around the axis of shaft 10 just within the
protective cylindrical boundary defined by the guard rings 12 and
14 and each interconnecting one of the upper struts with one of the
lower struts as shown. Preferably the helix angle, that is the
impeller pitch angle of the helical blades 22 and 22, approximates
the pitch angle of the radial strut impeller blades such that one
continues smoothly from the other and as a group the helical blades
and struts serve cooperatively to impel liquid in the same
direction within the container, generally parallel to the shaft 10,
that is either upwardly or downwardly depending upon the direction
of implement rotation.
The system of interconnected parts is a system of mutual structural
reinforcement and protection (in handling and in use) of the
individual parts by the assembled whole. As a matter of
manufacturing convenience, it is preferred to form the helical
blades 20 and 22 and then to weld them at their ends to the edges
of the associated radial struts which those ends abut, or if
preferred, to secure them directly instead of thus indirectly to
the rings 12 and 14.
In FIG. 2 flow patterns of liquid L created by rotation of the
immersed impeller are suggested by dotted lines with arrows.
However, while those flow lines are intended to depict the multiple
toroidal paths created by impeller rotation, the view falls short
of fully charting the multiplicity of paths and the complexity of
those paths achieved to the end of rapid and thorough mixing. Also
not depicted in the view is the practical supplementary motion that
the user, for instance a person holding a geared-down hand drill
motor turning the impeller, can exercise by applying a stirring or
orbital motion to the immersed implement as well as an up-and-down
or a complex of motions superimposed on driven rotation of the
shaft so as to further expedite and complete the thoroughness with
which the mixing is achieved. During such manually imposed action,
the rotating impeller may be moved from side to side and around the
periphery as well as up and down and into the lower corners of the
container so as to reach and activate into motion all components of
the liquid. This may be done without fear of damage to the
container itself or to the impeller and without impeller blades or
struts being caught by and digging into and possibly perforating
the container, since the guard rings 12 and 14 function to prevent
this whether or not the axis of the shaft 10 is maintained
perfectly vertical or whether it is tilted sideways from time to
time during the process. Yet the rings themselves add but little to
the resistance to rotation and they also help direct the flow into
desired circuits. Preferably the rings 12 and 14 are thin radially
and relatively wide longitudinally of the implement.
Preferably also, the upper and lower sets of struts include two
struts each and are formed from a single elongated strip apertured
midway between its ends to pass the shaft 10 and to be secured to
the shaft by welding W. If desired, of course, three (or more)
angularly spaced struts may make up a single set and if desired, an
equal number of helically formed impeller blades joined to them. In
order to derive maximum impulsion effect from the impellers, the
outer helix circle or cylinder defined by the helically extending
blades is only slightly smaller in diameter than the inside
diameter of the guard rings. One or more additional sets of struts
and guard rings may be added if desired.
These and other variations and modifications of the preferred and
illustrated form of the invention are intended to be included
within the claims that follow as equivalent to the illustrated
embodiment.
* * * * *